by galled » Mon Jun 10, 2024 11:15 am
Which blows my mind how the Emperor of China got ice-cream (China has been credited for inventing the stuff, but it is said it was more like Italian Ices--which makes you wonder if Marco Polo borrowed the idea) when refrigeration didn't exist. I'm sure it had to be made during cold weather, but if the Emperor wants ice-cream in the middle of summer, the Emperor gets ice-cream! They either had a huge supply in the imperial cellar (cold area) to keep it cold enough and have enough supply for spoilage/melting to meet demand and/or a pony express (ice-cream express?) of sorts to bring a large supply of the cold stuff (off mountain tops or the extreme north of the empire) so there's enough left to deliver.
Knowing how imperial China got things done/solved problems like this I wouldn't be surprised if they did both (cost and lives are irrelevant if there's an Imperial decree)...